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Here is Dandy's one year update!!!

Hello there Chuck and Jon!

We wanted to give you another update of Dandy since we have had him for a year now. First we would like to thank you! Dandy has brought such joy to our lives. He is such a good boy! We just recently moved to Texas and he did so well on the drive out here! We will soon be heading back to California. He is my cuddly boy, he fills the space that is left behind by my husband when he is off on deployment or underway. He is a mama's boy! He loves his sisters and loves to play with them!

We just recently got a chihuahua puppy. He has adjusted to her so well. He loves to play with her since he thinks he is a puppy. He is one playful guy! He has learned he can not be rough with her like he is with Sasha. He really loves when she cuddles up next to him.

He has grown so much! He is learning tricks when he feels he wants to pay attention to us. He has gained a lot muscle and he looks smashing! He has gotten used to his sister eating out of his bowl, he no longer snaps when it comes to the food bowl. We are still working with him on his snapping while eating his treats, but he is a lot better now. He has truly been one of the lights of our lives. He loves to dig, we have many holes in the backyard because of him. He gets them so deep that he can stand in them!! He doesn't do as much now because he learns if I dig I get washed down with the hose and he doesn't like it. We have kept his name because we didn't want to confuse him with changing his name, but he doesn't seem to mind his name. He has tons of nicknames! We call him Bud Bud, Ol' Blue Eyes, Buddy Boy, Baby Boy, & Beautiful Boy & he comes to all of them! He has made this a happy home full of fun, loads of love and extreme amounts of energy. He never stops playing and loves to run laps around the house and yard. He has no sense of personal space, he loves to be right next to at all times. He LOVES to give kisses, My husband & I can never have our faces next to his without get smothered with kisses. He follows me all around the house. He still quite the puller when we are walking but we really don't mind. Once again thank you so much for him! We truly love him and happy he is all ours forever!
Sincerely,
Jessica, Paul, Sasha & Dandy


Hi Chuck, Just wanted to send an update on Koda ... 8 weeks later and 11 lbs. heavier (from 54.3 lbs to 66.7 lbs) ... started puppy classes 3 weeks a go (she started protecting me a little too much on our walks at the bay ). Still working on the kitties (two still won't come out yet ... love, patience and positive reinforcement 24/7). Went to the groomers for our 2nd bath today. Her color has changed so much! From Copper-red to a Chestnut-brown- red ... she truely is "our baby girls" ... as we affectionately call her. I'll send a second pic separetly since hotmail wouldn't take all photos at one time ... and other is of her playing with "tenni" in our backyard ... many HUGSSS, Cathy, Bob and Koda, too

Hi Chuck, Thanks for the info and the Website - that will help a lot. We are doing GREAT! Kaya is such an amazing dog. She and Miles are getting more comfortable with each other and having fun. He loves to tease her with a rawhide to get her to chase him. She's letting down her guard and letting him chase her in the backyard. They are a great fit! Perhaps I'm jumping the gun, but this has been the easiest acceptance of a new family member (humans included) that we've ever been through. No regrets here (except for the fact that I will either never be able to wear black pants again, or will have to get dressed outside behind some shrubbery). Rob took the dogs to the boy's football practice last night and they had a great time hanging out. I can't tell you how many people are so amazed you can get such wonderul dogs from rescues. They make a great impression, those two. I am also so impressed with going through rescues to find the right dog - thanks again for your help and patience! Karen

		Hi Lisa, I thought you would like an update on J.D. & Cheyenne. It's been an up and down 3 months with these guys. House training is still a problem but it is much, much better! They have eaten a remote for the TV, a telephone, a waterbed (that was fun!) but they are getting into a routine with us. We can't wait until the snow falls to see them in the snow. We have dog hair every where and it seems that J.D. will never stop shedding. We had our vet take a look at Cheyenne's (Apache) foot. He had us give her anti-fungal medicine and soak her foot in epsons salt to calm down what ever was going on in her foot. After 2 weeks of this and it not getting any better, he did an Xray of her foot. He discovered that part of the bone of her toe was exposed and that was why she was limping. We had surgery on her to totally remove the entire toe. She has healed nicely and with the exception of only having 3 toes on one foot, she is using her foot just like any other dog. No more noticeable limp. We are very please with her recovery. Both dogs adapted very quickly to their name change. They keep us very entertained with their personalities. It is extremely difficult to stay mad at them. Even when they popped our water bed. (we weren't home, our daughter had do deal with siphoning the water). Any way, that is the latest with J.D. & Cheyenne. I've included a couple of pictures of them. When it snows, I'll send you some pictures as well. Thank you for the beautiful dogs, Barbara & Jim

Hello Jon & Chuck, Thought I'd send you a quick email since it's been almost six months since I adopted Malakai...Bandit to you guys. I must admit, the first six weeks were rough. Thought about bringing him back at least five times, if not more. Malakai had some major issues, the worst being severe separation anxiety. If he even thought I was going to leave the room, he would start screaming like he was being slaughtered to death. The first 3-4 weeks, during panic attacks when I would leave the room, along with the screaming, he would spray the walls with diarrhea as he spun frantically around in his crate. He was not potty trained, so when I Ieft for work, I would kennel him. He has broken out of four kennels...two of which were wire kennels. He even broke his own nose trying to escape out of a wire kennels. I tried all kinds of training methods. Positive reinforcement training. Basic and Intermediate Obedience. Did everything that as suggested for SA. Nothing seemed to work. With all the constant screaming and howling, and him breaking his nose, I'm actually surprised none one called Animal Control on me. I was almost like a prisoner in my own home. And whenever I did leave the house I always feared what I would find when I did go home. After Malakai broke his own nose, the vet said I may have to medicate him. Well, I didn't plan on doing that so we started to run more and I started following Cesar's way of training. Seemed to calm him down, but when Malakai wasn't worked up in a frenzy he would become extremely destructive, which was not much better. One Saturday I met with my husky group. I was feeling extremely frustrated and was hoping to find some guidance. One of the members took Malakai on a scooter run. He was so stressed out about leaving me, but when he came back he was s different dog!! It was the first time I remember him looking like he was at peace. So even though I really couldn't afford it, I brought a scooter and started scootering him regularly. Boy what a difference! We still have a few issues but nothing compared to how he was in the beginning. Nothing that is not manageable. Third weeks ago Malakai passed received his Canine Good Citizen Certification. This dog is so eager to please that obedience training has been a breeze. Not only does all his instructors love him, everyone gets a kick out of watching him because he so enthusiastic with all his responses. He will pretty much do anything I ask of him. The only plus to the whole SA thing is that I can walk him off leash without any worries. You should see the look on other husky owners faces when I parade around with him off leash. Or if we're at the beach and he's a good distance away and I call him, he comes to me with no hesitation. Unless he's off chasing a bird or something, he pretty much makes sure I'm always in view. Last weekend we went to a Spring Mush event in Wrightwood. Malakai ran in a six dog team of Alaskan huskies...he was the only Siberian. We ran about four miles that morning so I wasn't expecting him to keep up, but boy was I wrong!! Everyone was amazed at how well he did! This week I got him a treadmill so that we can still continue to run during the so called dog days of summer. The treadmill seems to be helping with the reminding issues. Malakai seldomly sleep throughout the night. He tosses and turns and some times seems to be having nightmares. Since the treadmill he has been sleeping. Will even take a nap during the day. He's finally seems to be a very happy boy. Maya loves him. He loves her. Matilda, the cat, enjoys playing with his tail and being chased around the house. Yesterday I ran into the person who does Husky Rescue down here and she said Malakai is the perfect fit. I think this was my first week where I realized how much I love him too!! Malakai has been a lot of work, but I think we're finally at the stage were I can enjoy having him as part of the family. Thank you! Mirelle

Molly came home one year ago today. She's been a very good girl from the start and has really grown into a great dog and friend. I think I've mentioned she was a very serious girl at first. She's still got that side, but she's really loosened up. She's become a very happy smiley girl, and a lot of fun. She's still a contrast to Mr. "Boys just want to have fun" Clarence, but not even close to where she was at first. As I know I've said, she had no clue how to play with another dog; now she and Clarence mix it up on a daily basis, as often as not at her instigation. She's started playing more with me also. She's not into playing ball, kong or the like, but she likes running and chasing games. She's the only dog I've ever known that quite audibly moans when you rub her belly. And the head snap when you stop . . . . Speaking of belly, hers is nearly gone. That big girl shaped like a keg is now in very good shape - even better than when you last saw her a couple months ago. I'm a bit surprised I didn't have to use diet at all - she gets as much of the good stuff as she wants to eat. Not much "junk food" though - they do get their Buddy Biscuits and some teeth-healthy snacks, but rarely get table scraps (although everybody got a rib-eye bone for Zebby's 16th birthday). My Mollywog is quite an athlete - she's a good jumper (I've seen her do a 360 in the air) and has great stamina. She's strong as an ox - stronger than Clarence (her back thighs are enormous for her size). She'd be an amazing back-of-the-line sled dog. She's very sly - I used to call my Bingo the "Sly Guy" for the way he'd appear to look one way but follow you out the side with his eyes; Molly does the same, only more so (except "sly girl" doesn't rhyme). She's very vocal; her original bellows have expanded into a very complex vocabulary. It makes her very good at getting her point across. The down side, of course, is that Molly and Clarence almost always insist on doing "Dueling Husky Howls" when I'm on the phone (like every dog I've had, it's like having a perpetual two-year old). Despite her serious tendencies, she's very friendly with human and canine - whether in the car, in the house, on the trails or in the front courtyard, she whimpers uncontrollably if she's not allowed to go say hello. Perhaps she was a Walmart greeter in a past life. Not sure about cats, although, like Maya, she loves to sit on the 2nd story porch and stare at the cats on the porch across the way (and two out the three of them camp out on the nearest railing when she's out there). And she certainly is interested in squirrels. Molly and Clarence have become very close. They increasingly lie together (and partially on top of each other), and in the last few weeks have started sleeping next to each other to the side of my bed. She's still a tough girl though - if another dog threatens her honor in any way (including the head-on-top dominance thing), she is very good at putting them down in a good way - I've never seen her bare her teeth in anger. It just occurs to me that Molly, like Maya before her, never made it to the website. Not sure what that means (if anything). I'm rambling, so let me just say thank you for my wonderful baby girl. My best to you, John, Kevin, Kayleigh, James, Casey, Krystal, Sonic, Tango, Cash, Shiloh, Velcro and the rest of the gang. All my best, Craig

		If you were wondering how Sam and Neeko are getting along, I think the photo pretty much sums it up. They will even give each other a face lick once in awhile. He seems to be settling in pretty well. He still has a couple of odd phobias, like he doesn't want to step on the tile floor on the first floor after coming down the stairs. I get the sense he thinks it is an unsafe surface or it reminds him of water, or something like that. He is sleeping fine - I leave the door open and he and Sam both stay in the room for the night. Walking is going well. I've found that given him the full 16' of leash lets him feel like he's roaming free like Sam, and he slows down when he gets to the end and feels the tension. Basic obedience is going well. He will generally sit on command, although sometimes he will see if you're serious and he gets the treat without doing the work. Eating is getter much better. He had two days in a row of eating a standard ration. Yesterday he left some behind, but he always does this face lick thing which I'm interpreting as "thanks, but I'm actually not that hungry right now". I actually feed him and Sam at the same time with their bowls about 2 feet apart and me standing between them. Sam eats like he's in a race. Neeko essentially ignores him. He will keep eating when Sam is done and eyeing Neeko's bowl. So far no signs of aggression, probably because I'm standing there eyeing them both. Only real hurdle to clear now is leaving them alone. I have a meeting today for about an hour, and Kendra is at work. We'll see how that goes. So far he hasn't shown any signs of destructive behavior. Only thing he's done is get at a butter dish that was on the kitchen counter (which I view as normal for a dog - you leave it where I can reach it and it's mine).

Hi Chuck, I am sending you this picture of us at the beach. I wanted to get a picture of just Nina and Buddy but of course they won't sit still long enough to get a good shot. Nina was so happy on her walk tonight with her brother. When we finished up a four mile walk she stopped on a grassy sidewalk and rolled on her back smiling with sheer joy! Once home though she doesn't want to leave the house. Whenever I open the door for her and Buddy to go out to the bathroom she sits down stubbornly and won't move. She hates to be away from Jeff and I. I literally have to drag her out to get her to take care of her business! She is definitely a house dog now and she has never had an "accident". Nina means love in Italian. I think whoever named her got it right! Hugs & doggie kisses from all of us! Jeff, Cathy, Buddy and Nina

		Hi Chuck and Jon! How are you guys doing? We are doing well! I have two more pics for you-- good examples of how a furry "giant" can be totally gentle with kids! (He just weighed in at 98 lbs a few weeks ago!) Crimson is doing great...he is such a character and a good boy. We had a blockage scare a few weeks ago as he started vomiting undigested dog food, etc. We caught it early luckily and with some oral medication and diet supplements to "oil up his innards", he passed whatever had been bothering him. We think he might have eaten a small rawhide strip too quickly as our other dog may have been approaching him. HA Competition...ha. We will not give him too many more of those unless we separate them from now on! I think I will try more digestible treats to be safe for a while! He is quite a loverboy; insisting to sleep on our feet and just an all around, extremely friendly dog. He loves to go to my son's school to pick him up with me, as he gets tons of attention from the kids all walking home. He is quite popular! He is a great companion on morning walks with me and will pull my daughter in her wagon...he is so much fun. He has a crush on a couple of chihuahuas on our block, but romance has not bloomed...he needs to pick out a girlfriend his own size! HAHAHA Take care, Chuck. We enjoy our dog every day and we are so thankful you gave him to us!!!!!! God bless you all!

Hey Chuck, it's been a very long time since we talked. The old saying goes, "no news is good news". All we can say is that Cooper is awesome. He has adjusted so well to our lifestyle and he seems very happy. I will attach a few pictures. I just wanted to thank you again for such a wonderful dog and also for taking time to answer the many questions that that we had. We have been taking him out to the river with us also and last weekend he had his first boat ride. He loved it. He even tried to swim. Didn't know huskies were water dogs, sort of, until Cooper came along. Anyways, hope you guys are doing well and thank you for all you do. Take care, Scott and Rhonda

		Hi Chuck, Just to let you know, dakota(jasmin) and zac(spirit) are doing great. They were the perfect addition to our family..thank you so much for our wonderful companions...the picure attached is our family at our new house which the dogs are adjusting very well to Thanks again! Sincerely, The Shimokaji family

Know I sent a few photos before ... here are a couple more :) Just wondering if Koda will be added to your photos albums of rescued babies. She goes to the groomers tomorrow (and the guys let me stay ) ... and yes, I will be taking first bath time pics. A friend is coming over to meet Koda in a little bit and I will be showing her your website (they lost their Husky 2 years ago and want another ... cat friendly ... same situation as us). Hope all is well, Hugsss, Cathy, Bob and KODA

When we got Rowdy in Sept 2007 she weighed 34 pounds. Originally Rowdy’s ears had scar tissue from flies. Today all her fur is thick and velvety with no scar tissue, and she weighs 55 pounds (a little stocky?). Freddy is 78 pounds. We said we wanted the toughest female husky you had because we had an extra large, strong alpha male that loved to play rough. It seems that Rowdy was the perfect match. They both love to play "hard", where most people are alarmed when they see it. Usually Rowdy appears to get the upper hand because Freddy is so confident in his strength he just rolls over and lets Rowdy rip him to pieces … (not). I’m sure being in the Husky business you know what I’m talking about. It’s such a kick to see their dramatic posturing that can stop on a dime when one of them needs to toilet or get a drink of water. Then right back to their WWF routines. Then it ends when one tires out and they do their kissy face …

They kids are doing great! We are doing some scooter training a dream of mine from childhood and doing well. Everyone talks about huskies running away from you and mine do great with directions but for some reason they keep turning around and coming towards me! lol We bring them inside in the afternoon. Clyde says he wants to come with me to work and everywhere. He loves going in the car and tries to open the doors by himself. Bonnie is just a bundle of love and always tries to make friends. She finally understands that she can't just run to make friends with the cats we pass by on our walks. So each day just keeps getting better. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing their beautiful faces everyday. Thank you for making it so easy for me to find them. So of course I will always have wonderful things to say about Husky Camp! :) Hollie

Hi there! I just wanted to let you know that it has been almost 2 years since we adopted Sky and she seems to be improving more and more every day. We love Sky so much and we have had some issues but are working through them. We found a technique that works with her pottying in the house: we blocked off the majority of the patio and lined the pathway with her extra beds/blankets. She won't potty on them, so it forces her to go potty outside. So far, it has been a success! With treats and encouragement we believe that we can eventually remove the deterrent of the beds and she will go potty on her own outside. For Christmas my parents gave me a dog scooter and I have never seen Sky happier than while she's running. She gets tired easily so we will usually do a lap around the block, come home so she can rest/cool off/drink, and go back out for another lap. So far our record is 3 laps before she's so exhausted I'm practically dragging her home! She loves it so much! Because of all the exercise she's been getting, it seems to have lowered her dog-aggressive outbreaks as well. She is still aggressive towards other dogs, but the intensity has gone way down. Last year I found that when she's really warm, she likes to splash around in her water bowl. Last summer I bought a kiddy pool for her to splash in, but it was getting so gross with the heat and the mud from the backyard (we have plenty of husky pot holes, but we don't mind!) that I would have to refill it 2-3 times a day. This year I decided to install a pond. I thought you might enjoy this so I have attached some pictures of Sky in her new pond. She's a little camera shy and kept jumping out whenever I tried to take the pictures, but these are the few I was able to get. The first one is of our 1 yr old Bernese Mountain Dog: Mali. She loves the pond too! It has a sterilizer and pump system to keep the water moving and kill any algae and bacteria. It even has a filter to make sure their loose hair doesn't ruin the pump! Since I bought it in January, most of the stuff was on sale and it only cost about $200 for EVERYTHING I needed. Usually all of that would run around $600. I love it, they love, we're all happy! --Brieana

Dearest Chuck, Congratulations on the kennel project! It looks absolutely fabulous. You and your team must have put in long, hard hours and it shows! We bless you and Jon every time we look at the beautiful little girl we adopted from you, Serafima (formerly Fancy). I went through the photos in your photo album http://www.huskycamp.com/familyalbum3new.htm and I believe she’s there in row 2 from the left, the 6th one down (she’s pure white with blue eyes). You might remember that we named her “Serafima” (“Sera” for short) because it means “angel” in Russian. Well, she’s still trying to live up to her name. She is still more the “imp on paws” as you used to call her. But she is the most lovable, affectionate, smart and beautiful little imp in the world!!! She is getting along really well with her brothers and sisters, all of whom are adopted like her. Sera got the most beautiful winter coat during our cold winter, but she’s shedding now. While she is still too young to pull a sled, she loves playing in the snow, running after the others, and trying to trip them up. My husband, Bo, and I learned to mush for our dogs (we’d never done it before and looked really funny in the beginning running after the sled with the dogs pulling it!!) We mush because we believe that happy huskies are those that do more or less what they’ve been bred to do. We don’t mush competitively or for profit; we do it just to make our dogs and ourselves happy. Over the past winter, we mushed with our team in Colorado. One weekend in March, we went to Silverton (one hour north of Durango) to train them. Little did we know that the snowmobile and sledder clubs, as well as a professional mushing team, had organized a “Fun Day” for mentally and physically challenged people from southern Colorado. The goal was to offer free snowmobile and sled dog trips to these wonderful people, who so seldom get a chance to go out and do these activities. We brought our dogs to meet the people (most of whom had never seen a husky or interacted with a dog). It was beautiful to see how they got along and mutually trusted one another. Later on, the mushers asked me to mush with them. It was such an honor, because I have nowhere near the experience these people have! Seeing our guests’ eyes light up and the happy smiles on their faces was one of the most wonderful and humbling experiences of my life. I’m also attaching 2 photos: the first is me trying to read in bed. As you see, the huskies are very eager to learn to read, too, and won’t budge. Don’t even think of trying to eat a bowl of ice cream in bed....by the way, I’ve found their favorite flavor is Haagen Dasz “Bailey’s.” Sera is the one in the right foreground looking straight at the camera. Her favorite place to sleep in ON me. Not to the side, but ON. She just plops herself down, gives me a kiss, and goes to sleep. She makes a sound like a little dinosaur (kind of “creaky”) when you try to shift her. The white husky kissing me is Dimitri, the golden girl behind me is Athena (confiscated from her owners for beating her), the black-and-white one in front of Sera is Stormy, and the grey one to the left is Anastasia. I am trying to read “Angels & Demons” and that title sure sums up our pack :o)!! In the second photo, you can see Baby Ysobel (“Iz the Whiz”) on my lap. She’s Sera’s BFF – they’re constantly chasing one another and driving everyone crazy. They do EVERYTHING together! In front of me is Stormy, who talks all day, and to the right is Sheba, also known as “Pumpkin.” Sheba is a round darling – she has a thyroid condition that went undiagnosed for years. Now she’s on medication 2x a day and has lost some pounds, but she’ll never be really thin. More to love...! Well, Chuck, that’s all for now. We hope to come to California this year to visit you. Please stay in good health, both of you, and may God bless and protect you always for the wonderful work you do and the infinite happiness to bring to God’s creatures, the two-legged and the four-legged kind. Love, Tania and Boris Rosev – Los Alamos, NM

Here is Dandy's one year update!!! Hello there Chuck and Jon! We wanted to give you another update of Dandy since we have had him for a year now. First we would like to thank you! Dandy has brought such joy to our lives. He is such a good boy! We just recently moved to Texas and he did so well on the drive out here! We will soon be heading back to California. He is my cuddly boy, he fills the space that is left behind by my husband when he is off on deployment or underway. He is a mama's boy! He loves his sisters and loves to play with them! We just recently got a chihuahua puppy. He has adjusted to her so well. He loves to play with her since he thinks he is a puppy. He is one playful guy! He has learned he can not be rough with her like he is with Sasha. He really loves when she cuddles up next to him. He has grown so much! He is learning tricks when he feels he wants to pay attention to us. He has gained a lot muscle and he looks smashing! He has gotten used to his sister eating out of his bowl, he no longer snaps when it comes to the food bowl. We are still working with him on his snapping while eating his treats, but he is a lot better now. He has truly been one of the lights of our lives. He loves to dig, we have many holes in the backyard because of him. He gets them so deep that he can stand in them!! He doesn't do as much now because he learns if I dig I get washed down with the hose and he doesn't like it. We have kept his name because we didn't want to confuse him with changing his name, but he doesn't seem to mind his name. He has tons of nicknames! We call him Bud Bud, Ol' Blue Eyes, Buddy Boy, Baby Boy, & Beautiful Boy & he comes to all of them! He has made this a happy home full of fun, loads of love and extreme amounts of energy. He never stops playing and loves to run laps around the house and yard. He has no sense of personal space, he loves to be right next to at all times. He LOVES to give kisses, My husband & I can never have our faces next to his without get smothered with kisses. He follows me all around the house. He still quite the puller when we are walking but we really don't mind. Once again thank you so much for him! We truly love him and happy he is all ours forever! Sincerely, Jessica, Paul, Sasha & Dandy

Dear Husky Camp, Sorry it took so long for me to write and let you know how I'm doing! I hope you still remember me (MAMA)… I was adopted right before Christmas! I was so sad that day to leave my wonderful Foster Family but had NO idea how cool adoption would be. First.- these four great kids gave me many hugs and kisses..they told me my new name would be “SHINOBI”. The girls cried in joy telling me that I remind them of their beloved Baloo Bear (RIP)- another Siberian Husky. Then I was taken back to a big backyard with lots of room to run, play and get in trouble with my new friend and brother.. Kyba. He is one crazy Husky! I of course immediately let him know that I am the PRINCESS and what I say goes.. LOL. Apparently, we are quite the comic pair as everyone stands around the backyard and laughs at us… maybe its because we love to jump over the park benches, play tug a war with our soft beds, climb up the playset and go down the slide, lay on TOP of the patio table, and best of all….enjoy sunbathing in lawnchairs by the pool. I mean really, who needs ALASKA? Our best dad in the world, Dave, LOVES to hook us up in a harness and have us pull him down the street on his skateboard… He is HEAVY but we are strong and fast and love it! The first time I saw an open door- I darted out to the front yard and my new family panicked remembering that I had a history of “running away”. We ALL had a good laugh when I stopped dead in my tracks and ran BACK INTO the house. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I am leaving this joint. I got it made in the shade. Great friends, good food, crazy Kyba, love, kisses and belly scratches…. PRICELESS. Daddy and Mommy still joke that they found me at “E Harmony” but we all know I came from Husky Camp. Kyba and I are a match made in heaven! Miss you all but LOVE it here! XXXOOOXXOOOO

Hello Jon & Chuck, Thought I'd send you a quick email since it's been almost six months since I adopted Malakai...Bandit to you guys. I must admit, the first six weeks were rough. Thought about bringing him back at least five times, if not more. Malakai had some major issues, the worst being severe separation anxiety. If he even thought I was going to leave the room, he would start screaming like he was being slaughtered to death. The first 3-4 weeks, during panic attacks when I would leave the room, along with the screaming, he would spray the walls with diarrhea as he spun frantically around in his crate. He was not potty trained, so when I Left for work, I would kennel him. He has broken out of four kennels...two of which were wire kennels. He even broke his own nose trying to escape out of a wire kennels. I tried all kinds of training methods. Positive reinforcement training. Basic and Intermediate Obedience. Did everything that was suggested for SA. Nothing seemed to work. With all the constant screaming and howling, and him breaking his nose, I'm actually surprised none one called Animal Control on me. I was almost like a prisoner in my own home. And whenever I did leave the house I always feared what I would find when I did go home. After Malakai broke his own nose, the vet said I may have to medicate him. Well, I didn't plan on doing that so we started to run more and I started following Cesar's way of training. Seemed to calm him down, but when Malakai wasn't worked up in a frenzy he would become extremely destructive, which was not much better. One Saturday I met with my husky group. I was feeling extremely frustrated and was hoping to find some guidance. One of the members took Malakai on a scooter run. He was so stressed out about leaving me, but when he came back he was s different dog!! It was the first time I remember him looking like he was at peace. So even though I really couldn't afford it, I brought a scooter and started scootering him regularly. Boy what a difference! We still have a few issues but nothing compared to how he was in the beginning. Nothing that is not manageable. Third weeks ago Malakai passed received his Canine Good Citizen Certification. This dog is so eager to please that obedience training has been a breeze. Not only does all his instructors love him, everyone gets a kick out of watching him because he so enthusiastic with all his responses. He will pretty much do anything I ask of him. The only plus to the whole SA thing is that I can walk him off leash without any worries. You should see the look on other husky owners faces when I parade around with him off leash. Or if we're at the beach and he's a good distance away and I call him, he comes to me with no hesitation. Unless he's off chasing a bird or something, he pretty much makes sure I'm always in view. Last weekend we went to a Spring Mush event in Wrightwood. Malakai ran in a six dog team of Alaskan huskies...he was the only Siberian. We ran about four miles that morning so I wasn't expecting him to keep up, but boy was I wrong!! Everyone was amazed at how well he did! This week I got him a treadmill so that we can still continue to run during the so called dog days of summer. The treadmill seems to be helping with the reminding issues. Malakai seldomly sleep throughout the night. He tosses and turns and some times seems to be having nightmares. Since the treadmill he has been sleeping. Will even take a nap during the day. He's finally seems to be a very happy boy. Maya loves him. He loves her. Matilda, the cat, enjoys playing with his tail and being chased around the house. Yesterday I ran into the person who does Husky Rescue down here and she said Malakai is the perfect fit. I think this was my first week where I realized how much I love him too!! Malakai has been a lot of work, but I think we're finally at the stage were I can enjoy having him as part of the family. I've attached a few of my favorite photos and here are more recent photos from last weekend: http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/chateigne29/Spring%20Mush%2009/?albumview=slideshow Thank you! Mirelle

	Hi Chuck, Just wanted to let you know how Tasha "aka" Azha was doing. We realized soon after bringing her home that her former home must have been abusive, and she feared men. However, as with most Siberians, she is very smart and has taken to her new family quite well. Especially her new two year old toddler buddy. They are partners in crime.:) Potty training consisted of one accident and was perfect from then on. She enjoys are monthly car trips and Grandma's house. As well as are frequent hikes and walks. I want to thank you for your patience with me, and helping me find the perfect Husky for us! Thank you Chuck, Lisa, and Huskycamp, Tiffany

			I don't know if you will remember us from last May but we purchased Berdo ( SAM) He has turned out to be a great dog. Dusty and Sam Have been doing well together, Dusty is still the boss. I thought I would share some photos with you. Yes Sam is the 1st dog my husband has shared our bed with. Dusty climbs in for a little while but get too warm and back to the tile. Sam stays with us all night. Just wanted to let you know he is doing fine.

Hey guys! I just wanted to give you another Sammy update. He is doing great! He loves to go to the park and he is just so sweet with the kids. Thankfully, he has not tried to escape again. I think that bad experience he had when the animal control picked him up after his first escape has taught him a lesson. He is really healthy. We just have to keep an eye on his thyroid, but we are used to it as Tuk has the same problem. He and Tuk get along very well. I think he makes Tuk feel young again. Sometimes they run around the backyard like puppies. Tuk's arthritis acts up sometimes, but most days he is fine to play and seems quite happy to have a companion. In fact, we moved their dog beds right next to each other. When Sammy first got here, he was sleeping upstairs and Tuk was sleeping downstairs, but after a couple of weeks, we would find Sammy laying on the floor, next to Tuk's dog bed in the morning, so we eventually just moved the beds right next to each other. The only "problem" between the two is that Sammy loves dog toys, but Tuk loves to bury them. They are too funny. Tuk has always been a bury-er, so every time I turn around, we are missing Sammy's toys and bones and there are constantly fresh holes in our backyard. I try not to let Sammy take any of his toys outside because I know that is when Tuk steals them, but the kids are oblivious to it, so Sammy gets them out there and then they "mysteriously" disappear. Sammy is really easy to train. He understands all the basic commands and really respects authority. Tuk is a really good role model in that department as well. We are taking Sammy on his first snow vacation this weekend. We have booked a cabin up in Mammoth that allows dogs. We have taken him on dirt trips and hikes and he does great, so now we'll get to see how he does in the snow. If he's anything like Tuk, he'll love it. We'll take some pictures while we're up there. Thanks again guys. Sammy has been a wonderful addition to our family and I can't imagine life without him. Katrina